Netanyahu called Pollard's actions "bad and inexcusable," and openly admitted that Pollard had been sent by Israel to spy on the United States.

"We think he should have served his time, and he did," said Netanyahu, stressing that Pollard had already served close to 13 years, most of them in solitary confinement.

"All that I appealed to President Clinton for is merely a humanitarian appeal…It is not based on exonerating Mr. Pollard. There is no exoneration for it," said Netanyahu. "It is not political. It is not to exonerate him. It is merely to end a very, very sorry case that has afflicted him and the people of Israel."

Clinton said the U.S. Justice Department, all the law enforcement agencies under the department, and all other security, intelligence and law enforcement agencies in the government had been invited to present their perspectives on the case by January.

"I will review all that," said Clinton, "plus whatever arguments are presented to me on the other side for the reduction of the sentence. And I will make a decision in a prompt way."

Pollard, from his jail cell in North Carolina, expressed satisfaction with Netanyahu's and Clinton's words, according to one of his lawyers who spoke to him Sunday.